Laminates manufacturer Rearo has taken delivery of its first commercial vehicles on contract hire after switching from outright purchase.
The vehicles have been supplied by Fraikin, which won a competitive tender after demonstrating how contract hire could help Rearo manage its fleet operating costs, particularly in relation to all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and repair.
The new fleet is being run on five-year, full-service contract hire agreements and includes eight 3.5-tonne Mercedes-Benz Sprinters and two 7.5-tonne DAF LFs – all replacements for older assets – alongside a 26-tonne Mercedes-Benz Actros, which is a new addition to the fleet.
All repair, maintenance and servicing will be managed through Fraikin’s national network of workshops, and while the FraikinView online web portal enables Rearo to track the progress of all work in real time.
The new vehicles also feature a comprehensive telematics package, providing valuable vehicle and driver performance data that Fraikin can use to help Rearo further improve fleet efficiency.
Rearo has been manufacturing and supplying bathroom and kitchen surfaces to the UK market for more than 20 years and its van fleet delivers to a nationwide customer base. Vans are in operation road five days a week, clocking up between 30,000 to 40,000 miles per year, while the trucks will generally cover less mileage.
Charles Brady, transport manager at Rearo, said: “When operating your own trucks and vans the cost of keeping them on the road begins to creep up the older they get, particularly when you don’t have a dedicated workshop and have to rely on booking in slots with dealers.
“Fraikin has taken away that headache. We can now let them manage the fleet maintenance schedule, while we focus on our core business. It means we get maximum vehicle uptime with minimum disruption – it’s a game changer for the business.”
